Jurassic NYC
by Dakota-Jones
Summary: When a scientist ahead of his time causes a horrible laboratory accident, how will NYC- and the newsies- deal with the fact that dozens of dinosaurs- which, in 1899, man knows barely anything about- are loose in the city... * Completed! *
1. Encounters

AN: Okay people, I am going VERY far out on a limb here. So far that the limb may break and all of you may hate me for all eternity. Hopefully not. But I am going to attempt to do the first ever Newsies/Jurassic Park slight crossover…and I'm not really sure how it's going to do.  So bear with me…this is another one of my suspense pieces, and I'm glad to be back at the scare-the-readers-to-death game! Also, each chapter will be from the point of view of a different newsie, although I will repeat newsies. You guys know I don't want to write from the point of view of a newsie that I don't feel like I know or understand well enough, so if your favorite is not given their say, I'm sorry ahead of time- I didn't want to do them an injustice by writing about them incorrectly.

Also, I know that at this time, humans didn't know barely anything about dinosaurs, so I'm putting in a Galileo/John Hammond type person- he's really far ahead of his time, but also very _stupid._

And I'm begging you people- I'm really nervous about this fic, so if ya don't like it…just stop reading…or something…cause I know there are gonna be people out there who are like, "Has she gone COMPLETELY INSANE???!!!"!

Summary: It's 1899, and hardly anyone knows what a dinosaur is, let alone knowing anything about them. But when a scientist who is far ahead of his time causes a laboratory accident, how will the newsies- and NYC- deal with these man-eating creatures loose all over the city?

Racetrack

            I sighed and rolled over onto my stomach, pulling the pillow over my head and trying to block out the sounds of the cricket that had been hiding in the bunkroom for the past week. I hated crickets. Nothing but s        queaking, every single damn night. And I couldn't possibly sleep with that going on.

            I suddenly heard a noise very different from a squeak, and I threw the pillow aside and looked around. No one else was awake, and the washroom light hadn't been turned on. I shrugged and laid my head back down, closing my eyes and trying to think of fluffy clouds and racehorses. Mush had said it would help me sleep, but I had news for him- somehow, fluffy clouds weren't as comforting to me as they were to him. But anything was worth a shot if I could get some sleep.

            _Fluffy clouds.__ Fluffy clouds. Fluffy clouds. Fluffy- what the hell was that?!_

            I sat up in my bunk and looked toward the window, immediately noticing that Dutchy had sat up and was also looking out the window in confusion. I met his gaze and we both got up at the same time and headed for the alley-facing window.

            "It's probably a drunk." I whispered to him as we looked out into pitch darkness.

            "Why would a drunk be throwin' around trash cans?"

            "Because drunks do stuff like dat!"

            "Sshh!"

            I squinted my eyes and saw movement down in the alley- something was pacing down there, just below the fire escape, which was (thankfully) pulled up.

            "What is dat?" Dutchy ask, taking his glasses off and rubbing them on his shirt before putting them back on.

            "Looks like a big dog." 

            "That'd have ta be one really big dog."

            "You got any better ideas?"

            A voice from behind caught us both off guard. "What are you bums doin'?"

            We spun around and Blink was standing there, adjusting his patch and tightening it.

            "There's somethin' in da alley makin' a racket. We can't figure out what it is."

            He smirked and flipped the locks on the window. "Well, I'll jest jump out there and shoo it off."

            I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. Something wasn't right here. I looked back down at the pacing form, which was now inspecting another trash can. "I don't think dat's such a good idea, Kid."

            "Why not? It's probably jest a dog. One a dem guard dogs from uptown or somethin'. You know how big those things are."

            "Well, yeah, but-"        

            I didn't even have a chance to finish before he slid the window open, a rush of warm night air hitting us as he climbed out onto the fire escape. He leaned over the edge, looking down at the 'intruder'.

            "Hey! Beat it!" he hissed, and quite suddenly we heard a growl from the 'dog'. A very loud, very strange growl. Blink leaned a bit further, trying to get a good look at it.

            I began to get very uneasy with Blink leaning over that far. "Blink, don't-"

            _Snap!_

            I didn't even realize what had happened until Blink had yelped in surprise and leaped back through the window, slamming it shut behind him. A few people stirred in their bunks, but luckily, no one woke up. The art of heavy sleeping was fully realized here.

            "What happened?" Dutchy asked. He hadn't had a clear view from where he was standing.

            I sat down beside Blink, who had fallen to the floor. Then I saw it- a thin red line across his right cheek. Whatever kind of 'dog' it was, it hadn't missed. And that snap I heard? It had been the creature's mouth snapping shut, luckily on air and not on Blink's head.

            "It tried ta bite him." I whispered to Dutchy.

            "But the fire escape's ten feet up!"

            I gently held Blink by the chin and tilted his head toward the dim light, and Dutchy gasped as the scratch came into full view. But it _was only that- just a scratch. _

            "That thing jumped at least ten feet in da air. There ain't no dogs dat can do dat." Blink said, staring at the window. I stood up and looked out, studying the ground below.

            "Well, whatever it was, it's gone now. I guess you scared it off, Blink."

            Dutchy suddenly snickered. "Either that or you didn't taste very good."

            Blink shot him a glare as he wiped the blood off his face. "Haha, very funny."

            We made our way back to bed, shaken up but not wanting to wake anyone else up. After all, the 'dog' was gone. If it had even been a dog.

AN: Foreshadowing! I love it! Anyways, if you liked it, review! If you didn't like it…well, you can still review…but be gentle, please. I guess I'm just testing how open minded our little newsies group is, cause this stuff is pretty far out, even for me!


	2. Trapdoors

AN: For practical purposes of the story, I'm making the dinos mostly nocturnal…it would get a little out of hand if the dinos were running down the street just jumping on people left and right in broad daylight. For reference, here are the types of dinos that I will be using (cause no one in the story will be able to name them for you):

Velociraptor: Our favorite friend from Jurassic Park- human sized meat eaters that hunted in packs and were supposedly extremely intelligent. Amazing senses in hearing, sight, and smell, very high speed.

Adasaurus: Similar to the Velociraptor, but smaller and lightweight. May have had a thin coating of feathers. An impressive hunter, usually hunted alone.

Bambiraptor: 3 foot tall, 1 foot long, covered in feathers. Built like a raptor, with a killing claw and very long limbs. Very fast and deadly, but smaller than other raptors.

Nqwebasaurus: A very small carnivorous dinosaur. It is not known whether it was a hunter or a scavenger. (I'm going with a mix of both.)

Also, I'm very sorry for all you dino buffs out there…I know that some of these dinosaurs were not discovered until far after 1899. Let's just say my little scientist man found them first and never told anyone cause they first thing they did when they were created and escaped was _eat him_! * regains composure * 

Also, I am wondering if I should have a T-Rex make a cameo, and I'll leave it up to you guys. Go ahead and throw in your opinion- should the 'big guy' make an appearance? And I have also had a request that Sarah be sacrificed to the monsters…..just to be civil….I'll ask, anyone going to second that?

Blink

            "Get up, boys! Time to get up!"

            I suddenly got poked right in the stomach, and slowly opened my eyes to face Kloppman. He was yelling something about 'lazy bums' and 'selling papers', and I tried to tune him out as I sat up.

            "Hey Blink! What happened to your face?" Jack asked as I walked past him to the sink.

            "Nothin'."

            "Aw, come on-"

            "It's nothin', okay?"

            I reached up and ran my finger down the long cut. I hadn't told Racetrack and Dutchy the whole story- I couldn't. They'd never believe me. Cause when that thing jumped up and tried to take my head off, I got a real good look at it.

            It had scales. And teeth the size of my thumb. I would swear to it. 

            I was a little wary walking out of the lodging house that morning, but nothing happened on the way to the distribution center. Just the same, Mush knew something was wrong. He always does.

            "What's up, Kid? What's wrong?" he asked, pulling me away from the other guys.

            "Nothin'." Well, I was being articulate today, wasn't I?

            "You don't actually expect me ta believe that, do ya?"

            I sighed heavily. I couldn't pull the wool over his eyes, not for a second. "I'm just thinkin'."

            "About what?"

            I told him about the thing we saw in the alley the night before. I told him everything- except what I had seen. I only said that none of us got a clear look at it. 

            "It jumped all the way up to da fire escape?" he asked, incredulous.

            "Yep."

            "Dat's some dog."

            "Dat's what I thought."

            We walked in silence for a few minutes, and then he turned to me and smiled. "Well, whatever it was, it's gone. So stop mopin' and have some fun!" 

            With that he stole my hat and took off running, and I sprinted after him, ready to tackle him to the ground when I caught him. But I didn't have to catch him- he stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk.

            I ran into him and just about knocked him over, and I was about to ask him what the big deal was when I saw it. A severed hand, lying in an alleyway in the shadow of a building. Mush had paled about ten shades, and I turned him around to face me instead of the torn limb so he wouldn't get sick.

            For once in my life I actually stopped a policeman, knowing that we needed to tell _someone. He kneeled down and examined it, a look of utter disgust on his face. Mush stood just around the corner, where he could hear us but not see us- he refused to accompany me into the alley with the cop. He didn't want to be anywhere near that thing. _

            "It looks like it was bitten off!" The policeman exclaimed, and then he reached down and pressed two fingers on it. "It's still warm. It couldn't have been here more than an hour."

            I frowned. "But where's the rest of him?"

            He stood up, looking down the alley. "No blood. None at all. I just don't get it." He turned to me, confusion giving way to 'authority'. "Thanks kid. You run along now, and we'll take care of this."

            I reluctantly left the alley, and Mush and I walked to the distribution center, where Racetrack had saved us our usual place in line. He didn't ask questions- he took one look at Mush and knew not to ask, at least not in front of him.

            "You gonna be alright, Mush? I mean, we can go sit down and jest sell afternoon if-"

            "I'm fine. Just need ta get my mind off it, dat's all." He whispered, and then he looked back the way we had come. "Do ya think…I mean, dat thing at da window…"

            Wow. Hadn't thought of that yet. Could it have been the same thing? Could that have been _my_ arm had I leaned over an inch further?

            "I don't know, Mush. Let's just sell."

Dutchy

            "Factory shuts down! Thousands left without jobs!" I yelled, making my way through a thick crowd with Specs. The headlines were awful today, but that one could fly on its own, with all the 'labor unrest'.

            "Dis spot is dead…let's head for Central Park." Specs suggested, and I nodded. We slipped out of the street, heading down a long alley towards another busy street.

            "You hear dat?" Specs asked, suddenly stopping and cocking his head as he listened. I stopped and concentrated on listening, and I realized he was right- there was a strange sound coming from a door to our right. It almost sounded like…heavy breathing. 

            "I hear it…ya think they're hurt?" I asked quietly. He shrugged and walked up to the door, pushing it open just a crack.

            "Let's go see."

            "Specs, I ain't so sure about dat…"

            "Well, if they're hurt, dey may need help. If not, we just leave."

            "…Okay."

            A shiver ran down my spine as he pushed the door the rest of the way open. The second the door opened, the sound stopped.

            "Anyone here?" Specs asked. The door slowly closed behind us, and the rusty hinges creaked and groaned as we moved further into the room. I stayed close behind Specs, trying to see through the dust our feet were kicking up.

            Speaking of dust…

            "Specs…Specs! Look at this!" I said, kneeling down on the floor. He turned around and dropped to his knees beside me as I pointed to a spot on the floor. It was a footprint…I think. It was the size of my foot, but it was shaped real weird.

            "Look…it has claws." Specs added, pointing to two spots devoid of dust a little in front of the footprint.

            "Those would have to be really big claws."

            Specs was suddenly knocked forward to the floor and I jumped back in alarm. I couldn't see anything through the dust! I grabbed the nearest thing on the cluttered floor- a brick- and I threw it at the vague shape of whatever was on Specs.

            A shriek cut the air like a butcher's blade, and I grabbed Specs and hauled him to his feet, shoving him into an adjoining room and slamming the door behind us. He was breathing hard, but I turned him around and found that he wasn't injured.

            "What was that?" he gasped, and then something slammed into the door, almost breaking it off its hinges- and two long, black claws were shoved through the wood, appearing on our side.

            "I don't know, but it's really mad at us!" I said, looking around for any way out. It was a small room without any windows or other doors- no means of escape. And that door wasn't going to hold.

            "Dutchy! Here!" Specs said, pointing to the ceiling. An old, tattered string was hanging down, leading to a small outline of a trapdoor. Perfect!

            He grabbed onto the string and pulled, and the chunk of wood fell right out of the ceiling to the floor below, almost taking him with it. I could see that there was a room up there- and the room was lit with sunlight. That meant there were windows!

            Another slam on the door and more gaping holes in it from the claws sent us almost into a state of panic.

            "Alright, I'll go first."

            "How are you gonna get up there?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He was right- it was beyond my reach.

            "Let me on your shoulders." I said.

"I'm not sure I can hold ya."

"You carry hundreds of papes all day and you think you can't hold me!?"

"You weigh more than a hundred papes!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Another slam on the door convinced him of his strength, and quickly killed the argument.

"Dutchy, this ain't the time for vanity! Let's jest try this!" He insisted, and though it took a few precious moments, he was soon standing up with me sitting on his shoulders. Any other time, it would've been hilarious.

            "Hurry…the door isn't holding!" He said as I hauled myself up through the trapdoor. I reached down just as the door was knocked inward, and I grabbed onto Specs's wrists. I pulled him up and he was getting a hold on the edge when the growling, snarling creature stepped through.

            It was like a big brownish-red lizard. It had to be as tall as me, with huge claws on both feet and teeth like a lion's. It jumped and snapped its jaws shut on Specs's pant leg, and I felt the enormous strength it possessed as it almost pulled Specs out of my grip.

            Specs swung his other leg and kicked the creature in the jaw, and it growled but let go and fell to the floor. I pulled him the rest of the way up as fast as I could, and then I found the nearest piece of furniture- a dresser- and slid it over the opening in the floor. Specs opened the closest window, and we both climbed through into the alley and didn't stop running until we hit the street.

            "What…was that?" I asked in-between gulps for air. Specs looked back into the alley as if he expected the creature to come running out in a murderous frenzy.

            "Don't know…but what are we gonna tell the guys?"

AN: Teehee, I'm evil! And I love reviews. They are like….an addiction. Yeah. That's it. An addiction. So feed my addiction and review, cause nothing's better than a free addiction! 


	3. Dying a Virgin

AN: Time for some action, people! This is going to be a very interesting chapter…and all readers should start praying for Mush, Skittery, and Blink (Oh, look! My three favorites in one chapter! This is gonna be fun…). Next chapter I'm taking reader request, so tell me who you want to have an encounter with the dinos next. Thanks to all my reviewers!

Mush

            Just how I wanted to start my morning- seeing a severed arm lying in an alley, and then having no explanation for why it's there. After that, I just wanted to sit down and sulk the rest of the day. But Blink was already in a not-so-great mood, and adding to that mood wouldn't make the day any better. 

            As the day went along, I tried to block the memories from my head, hawking the headlines and plastering a smile on my face. I knew Blink was still shaken up from what happened the night before, cause he was having trouble concentrating on selling, and that's not like him.

            We were just sitting down to take a break before lunch when Snitch ran up to us, breathing heavily.

            "Hey, you guys, have ya seen Skittery? He said he'd sell wit me today, but I haven't seen him since we left da lodgin' house." He said, lighting up a cigarette.

            Blink looked at me, and I shrugged. "We haven't seen him. Didn't he pick up his papers?"

            "No…guess I'll keep lookin'. Thanks anyway."

            He walked away, and Blink sighed deeply. "Maybe he went ta Central Park. He goes dere when he has enough saved ta take a break from sellin'."

            "Should we go take a look? I mean, Snitch seems really worried. Maybe Skitts forgot his promise."

            "Wouldn't doubt it. Let's go."

            We weren't far from Central Park, and Blink led me straight to where Skittery usually goes- a place further into the park, with thicker foliage and beside a small pond. It was a peaceful spot that not many people knew about- in fact, it had come to be known as the newsie's spot, since newsies were practically the only people that came there.

            Just as we suspected, Skittery was there, sitting on a boulder by the pond and smoking a cigarette. He noticed us approach, but didn't say a word.

            "Hey, Skitts. Hows it goin'?" I asked, sitting down beside him. He just shrugged, throwing the cigarette into the pond and draping his arms over his knees. Blink sat down and let his legs hang off the end of the rock, looking down into the murky water.

            "Ya alright?" I asked Skittery.

            He hesitated a moment, staring straight ahead by with an unfocused gaze. "Yeah. I's fine."

            I sighed in frustration. Why did everyone in this damn world have to lie about how they felt? Did they think it didn't show? I could tell just by looking at him that something was wrong!  

            "Snitch is really worried about ya." I said quietly, and he cursed, obviously remembering what he had promised. He stood up and turned around, and I heard him gasp.

            "Mush…Blink…" he hissed, not moving an inch. I stood up and turned to see what he was looking at, and my heart jumped into my throat. 

            A huge lizard, at least as tall as me, was staring right at us, its lips curling in a vicious growl. Its golden eyes narrowed as it watched us, and its tail swished back and forth across the grass.

            "Maybe…if we go back the other way…we can get outta here." I whispered as the creature began flexing its claws. We began backing up slowly, and then Blink turned around to scout an escape route- but then he froze.

            "Guys…we's trapped." He said, and Skittery and I looked over our shoulders to see that there were two more of the creatures behind us. We were completely surrounded.

            "We're gonna have ta run."

            "Should we split up?"

            "Wait." Skittery started, studying them carefully. "They're gonna work together ta take us down. We need to split up two and one. They'll go after the one that's alone…the other two can get away."

            "We can't leave someone alone like dat." Blink said, but I knew Skittery was right. Better one of us than two. I took off running, ignoring Skittery and Blink's cries of protest.

            "GO!"I screamed at them, and Skittery grabbed Blink's wrist, pulling him the other way at top speed. Just as we suspected, two of the creatures came straight after me- but the third took one glance at me, and then followed Skittery and Blink.

            _Damn, these things are fast! _ I thought as I pushed my body into a downright sprint. I looked around for any means of escape, eventually spotting a low branch on a tree.

            I suddenly felt a huge weight slam into me from behind, and I heard my shirt rip as its claws dragged me down to the ground. I rolled over, throwing it off me and throwing a punch at the same time, connecting with the lizard's jaw and stunning it. I stumbled back to me feet and found that I was just below the branch- but there were two very hungry looking lizards ready to pounce on me.

            Time for some acrobatics.

            I jumped straight up and grabbed onto the branch, swinging forward and kicking one in the face and kicking the other one on the back swing. I swung my legs up backwards over the branch, balancing on my stomach and pushing up the rest of the way. Just as one of them jumped at me, I climbed up a few more branches and was out of their reach.

            I sat down and leaned against the trunk of the tree, gasping for air as the creatures snarled and growled beneath me. They were circling the tree, but I could tell that they had no way of getting to me. But as long as they were pacing there, I had no way down.

            I briefly wondered if Blink and Skittery had made it out, but I convinced myself that I didn't need to worry about them. They had both been on the streets their whole lives, and they could escape the best cops in the city- they knew the ins and outs of escape.

            I could only hope that those skills had pulled them through.

Skittery 

            "Come on, come on!"

            "Damn, that thing's fast!"

            I pushed my way through some hedges, jumping over a small stone wall.

            "Blink, how much further?"

            No answer. I looked over my shoulder, realizing that both Blink and the lizard were nowhere to be seen.

            He'd gone back for Mush. I knew it.

            A growl suddenly derailed my train of thought, and two of the creatures stepped out of the trees, their yellow eyes locking in on me.

            "Oh, shit!"

            I turned around and started running again, finally breaking through into an alley. I went through the first door I saw into a closed down warehouse, and I heard the door fly open and hit the wall behind me, and I dove behind a stack of crates near the stairs to the basement. I could hear their claws clicking on the cement floor, and I was worried that they could hear my heart pounding in my chest. As the sound grew closer, I opened one of the crates and climbed inside, gently closing it behind me.

            I could hear them turn the corner, and I could immediately tell my plan was flawed- they were sniffing their way along the row of crates. They would be able to smell me!

            I felt the crate I was in being nudged, and then a horrible shriek rang through the air. I clamped my hands over my ears, my head exploding in pain at the awful, animal sound.

            The crate was suddenly slid across the floor, and though I couldn't see out, I knew that couldn't be good. But for once, I was wrong. They had simply shoved my crate aside to inspect the others. They could smell me, but they didn't know where I was!

            After what seemed like an eternity, I heard the door hit the wall as it was thrown open, and silence followed. I started to reach for the door, but then I felt the crate start to tilt; it was right at the top of the stairs. And before I could do anything, it fell.

            The world spun around me, and I felt the wood cutting into my skin. And then, quite suddenly, everything went black.

Blink 

            I knew that Mush wouldn't be able to shake two of those things if Skittery and I couldn't get rid of one. And I knew that if I didn't do it first, Skittery would go back after him. And with the rash decisions I'd seen him make before, I had the feeling he would end up dead.

            I turned and headed in a different direction, and I heard the lizard screech and skid on the grass as it turned to follow me. _Good, _I thought, _that should give Skittery time to get out of here._

            It was gaining on me, and I had no idea how I was going to find Mush. I didn't want to start yelling just in case there were more of these things out here. I just headed back to the pond, and then tried to remember which way Mush had gone.

            Just as I got there the lizard tackled me, and I fell seven feet off a ledge into the pond. I felt its claws cut into my back, and suddenly the water started turning red around me. I pushed away from it and swam as hard as I could toward shore, the pain in my back hitting me like a sledgehammer. As I pulled myself out of the water I realized that the creature was having trouble following me- it couldn't swim very well.

            "Mush!" I yelled, knowing that time was limited. "Mush, where are you?!"

            "Blink?!"

            I turned and ran in the direction of his voice, but I skidded to a halt when I saw two of the lizards right in front of me.

            "Blink, run!" Mush yelled, and I looked up and saw him standing in the tree, just out of their reach.

            I suddenly felt a raging anger fill me, the same temper that usually got me soaked back at the lodging house. "_I am so done wit dis SHIT!_" I screamed, and then I picked up a branch and swung it at the nearest lizard's head. It connected with a sickening crack, and the thing fell, unconscious. The other one came at me, its jaws snapping shut on the wood. I pulled the wood down close to the ground, pulling its head down as well, and then I lifted my foot and slammed it down on its head. 

            "Come on!" I yelled at Mush, and he jumped down and started running alongside me, back towards civilization on the same path Skittery and I had taken.

            "Where's Skittery?" he asked, looking behind us to make sure we weren't being followed.

            "I led that thing away from him. I think he's safe."

            "You don't know?!"

            "Hey, somebody had to come save your ass, ya bum!"

            A strange clicking sound made us both shut up, and flashes of brownish-red moving in the woods around us noted the urgency of the situation. How many of these things were there?!

            We were surrounded, with no choice but to stop and stand back to back. There were five of them circling us now, and I groaned in frustration.

            "God…I don't wanna die a virgin."

            "Now's not the time, Blink."

            "Got any ideas?"

            "Actually, I do."

            He suddenly turned around and grabbed onto my hips from behind as the lizards advanced on us.

            "Mush, when I said I didn't wanna die a virgin…"

            "When dey get close enough, I'll lift you up, and you kick dose two at da same time. Dat'll give us a path out."

            "When?"

            "NOW!"

            He lifted me up into the air and I kicked, both of them stumbling backwards. We took off running between them, and a shriek suddenly cut through the air.

            Then, they just disappeared into the trees. They just seemed to give up. Maybe they had another meal somewhere else, or just didn't want to mess with two of us at the same time. Or it could be those strange, rhythmic booming sounds that seemed to be shaking the ground.

            Mush and I took one look at each other and knew we didn't want to face whatever was making that noise. We took off running at top speed, and gradually, the noise faded. 

            We kept running until we reached an alley, and the odd claw marks on a doorway in the alley made me stop and think.

            "Ya don't think…" Mush started, and I pushed the door open in a panic. The only reason those things would've gone in here is if they were hunting something.

            "Skittery! Skittery!" I yelled as we walked through, expecting the worst. I almost wanted to tell Mush to stay outside if I weren't so worried about those things coming back.

            I made my way to the stairs in the back, and on the landing below, Skittery lay in a pile of shattered wood. I ran down the stairs, Mush not far behind me.

            "Are you okay?" Mush asked, and Skittery swallowed hard and shook his head. He tried to move, but I stopped him.

            "Don't move. Let's clear some of dis wood away."

            We actually had to pull a couple of shards out of him where they had impaled on him, but luckily, he wasn't too badly hurt. The main thing that was hurting him was his head where it had slammed on the stairs on the way down.

            I looked at Mush as Skittery threw his arms on our shoulders, limping from a gaping wound on his right leg.

            "To da lodgin' house?"

            "Yeah."

AN: Ah, more lovely foreshadowing…Review, please! I'll send the dinos out on you if you don't! 


	4. Carriages and Broken Wings

AN: Hi people! Time for more fun with the dinos! Sorry if this update took a little longer, but I'm having my senior pictures done tomorrow, and I just got my nails done…so it's insanely difficult to type… * pictures Korean guy grinding away at her nails * Ugh. I'm glad I'm a tomboy and only have my nails this long once a year or so ^__^. Anyways, read and review!

Oh, and I'm stealing a little bit of scene situation from the 1st Jurassic Park movie later on- just because it's a really cool idea and it ends with a really cute scene and a little you-decide-if-it's-slash. It could be or not, depending on how you read it. I'm not going to say definitively because I'm evil like that ^__^.

Racetrack

            I slowly walked toward Tibby's, resisting the urge to light up a cigar since I only had one left. It had been a pretty good day of selling, but I had busted myself on a horse that had been a sure winner- until she decided to stop in the middle of the race and roll in the dirt.

            "Heya Race."

            I turned toward the sound of the voice and found Jack standing there with David, and Sarah trailing a bit behind. Jack had tried to explain to her that she shouldn't come to Tibby's every day, but she just didn't listen. She was much too clingy.

            "Hey, Jack. How's it goin'?"

            "Well…" he took a short glance at Sarah, and I nodded, completely understanding. I'll bet he would give anything to be gay right now, just to get her to leave him alone. 

            We walked in silence- well, except for David. He kept going on and on about some book he'd read that week- we'd just learned to tune him out when he got onto one of these rants.

            "JACK!!RACE!!"

            We spun around in shock as Specs and Dutchy ran up to us, completely out of breath. They both looked totally panicked, and were covered in dust from head to toe.

            "What happened?" Jack asked as Dutchy almost ran into him trying to come to a dead stop.

            "A giant lizard! It attacked us in da old apartments on 3rd!" Specs said in-between gasps for air. I looked at David, and we both burst out laughing. Jack was trying to hold back his laughter.

            "A giant lizard, huh? How big was it? Da size of a horse?" he asked, mainly as a joke.

            "It's da truth!" Dutchy insisted.

            For a moment, I hovered between believing them and thinking they were crazy. It wasn't like them to make up stories like this, and they were certainly smart enough to know we wouldn't believe them. But still…a giant lizard? Yeah, right.

            "Cowboy! Race!"

            We spun around the other direction as Snipeshooter grabbed onto my jacket and tugged frantically.

            "What?"

            "Kid Blink and Skittery are hurt. Mush just got 'em back to da lodgin' house. They wanna talk ta you!" 

            We took one look at Specs and Dutchy, and figured out that _something was going on. Maybe not a giant lizard, but _something_. We headed back to the lodging house, Snipeshooter running ahead to tell Mush that we were on our way._

            "Sarah, stay here." Jack said.

            "No! I want to help, Jack."

            He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

            We reached the lodging house where Mush was busy tending to wounds- Skittery had bandages all over his arms, legs, and back, and Blink was facedown on the bed, cringing as Mush cleaned out the gashes on his back.

            "Dat hurts, Mush!"

            "Well, if you wouldn't have gone after me with rabid lizards running around, then this wouldn't have happened, would it?"

            "No, mother."

            "Shut up, ya bum!"

            Jack looked over Mush's shoulder, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. "What happened?!"

            Mush shrugged. "Just a man-eating lizard as tall as Skittery. Nothin' big, ya know?"

            I think I definitely would've accused them of lying if those gashes on Blink's back hadn't been real. But I couldn't think of any other way that would've happened. 

            "Mush, really…what happened?" I asked, sitting down and lighting up my last cigar. I seriously needed it right now.

            And Mush explained the whole thing. How they went looking for Skittery and the lizards basically hunted them down. I took one look at Skittery and knew they weren't lying- he was groaning in agony with each movement, his eyes shut tightly against the pain.

            _Scratch, scratch._

            All of us looked toward the stairs at the same time. Mush had just finished both his story and Blink's bandaging, and had just helped Blink put his shirt back on over the bandages when the noise was heard.

            Then, we heard sniffing. And we knew what was coming before it even appeared in the doorway.

            There were two of them. Huge, snarling creatures that growled as they saw us, and sniffed the air heavily.

            "What do we do?" I whispered, noting that Skittery wasn't going anywhere unless he was carried.

            Blink leaned forward slowly. "We need a distraction."

            All eyes locked on Sarah, who was so ditzy that she had absolutely no idea why everyone was looking at her.

            A split second later, a screaming Sarah was shoved into the midst of the lizards and the door was slammed shut, and we all ran for the window, Mush and I each working to help Skittery out. We closed the window and lowered the fire escape, climbing down and practically running to Tibby's to warn everyone else. 

            By now, the whole city seemed to have noticed. The lizards were slowly sneaking into buildings and attacking people, and there seemed to be no place that you could go where they wouldn't be.

            "Specs!" Dutchy yelled as Specs suddenly turned and started running in a different direction. Specs turned around and stopped, and he and Dutchy argued shortly- a first that I'd seen, at least. Then Specs turned around and shouted, "We's going ta check on Spot in Brooklyn! Go on ta Tibby's! We'll meet ya there!"

            At first I wanted to object, but Jack grabbed my shoulder and pulled me onward. I didn't want to have them out here alone, but Jack leaned over and whispered, "Dey can take care of themselves. We need ta get ta Tibby's and start boarding up windows. We'll need all da help we can get, and Brooklyn will take care of dem."

Specs

            I tried to convince him not to come. I didn't want to have anyone else in danger because of me. But I also knew that if I didn't just let him come, he'd follow me anyway, and that could be more dangerous. 

            The entire city was buzzing about the 'mutant lizards'. People were sitting in their carriages holding guns, families were boarding up their windows and doors, workplaces were closing, and policeman were frantically searching out and shooting any creatures they found. But there were just too many.

            We spotted a Brooklyn newsie just across the bridge, sitting by the side of the road with a stack of unsold papers beside him. 

            "Where's Spot?" I asked as we approached, and he shot us a glare. 

            "Who's askin'?"

            "We're from Manhattan. We're here on behalf of Jack Kelly."

            The boy hesitated, arching an eyebrow at the mention of Jack Kelly. "Spot's at the docks."

            I threw him a nickel for the information and we headed for the docks, but it would take a few minutes to get there. And things were in the same condition here, if not worse. 

            But we didn't quite make it to the docks.

            And I thought those little lizards were bad.

            I stopped in the middle of the street, hearing lots of screams and suddenly realizing that the street was rhythmically shaking. I took one look at Dutchy's panicked face, and I realized that something was behind me. Something that I probably didn't want to see. But I could already feel hot breath on my back.

            "Specs…don't…move." Dutchy whispered. "I don't think it can see you if you don't move."

            It seemed like an eternity that I stood there, but then a shadow fell over me- a shadow in the shape of a three-toed foot- and Dutchy grabbed my arm. "GO!" he screamed, and we both took off running.

            A roar filled the air, and I stumbled at the sheer volume of the cry. It was so loud that the ground seemed to tremble under my feet, and we turned a sharp corner, but it was still right behind us. And I still hadn't seen it.

            As I looked over my shoulder, I wished I'd never seen it.

            It was as tall as the buildings around us. Its feet were the size of carriages, and it had tiny arms, but a mouth that could've swallowed a horse. Oh, and its teeth? The size of my hand. Yep. One tooth.

            "Let's split up!" I yelled, and Dutchy dived under a nearby carriage and I went to the other side of the street, ducking into a doorway. The streets were practically deserted with this thing running around.

            I watched in horror as the monster went straight after Dutchy, crunching its teeth down on the carriage. Dutchy laid underneath, unable to see what was going on above him but obviously hearing it, because he looked terrified.

            At first I thought Dutchy had the right idea- it looked as if the creature couldn't get to him. Then, the huge lizard lifted up one of its monstrous feet…and slammed it down onto the carriage, smashing it into the ground- and onto Dutchy- as it gutted the interior.

            "DUTCHY!!!" I screamed, sure that I had just watched him die. I felt a sob rise in my throat as I made what would be most likely my last bad decision ever- but Dutchy wouldn't be there to chew me out for it anyway. So what did it matter?

            "Hey! Hey, you! Over here!" I yelled, running out into the street and waving my arms in the air. Its immense head swung and it focused in on me, and in half a second, I was running once again.

            I looked around frantically for anything, anything at all that I could use as a weapon, but I'm not as inventive as Jack. And that thing was gonna catch up to me anytime now.

            But did I really care? I mean, for God's sake, Dutchy was probably dead. Which meant that my reason for living was gone. Hell, if it weren't for Dutchy, I would probably be dead right now anyway.

            So it was only fitting that I die with him. After all, it was my fault he was dead.

            I turned around, spreading my arms out and waiting for the thing to catch up. "Come and get me, ya bastard." I hissed, lifting my head to watch my own demise come straight at me.

            Suddenly a figure appeared in front of me, and as the monster leaned over and chomped down, time seemed to stand still.

            There was Spot, almost inside the creature's mouth. And in his hands, a huge javelin of wood which the lizard had bit down on- now driven up through its skull from the force of its own bite. Its own strength had gotten it killed.

            "Bite me." Spot dared as the monster spasmed and started to fall. He let go of the wood and the creature fell over, the wood having been driven straight up through its brain. Spot turned around, the same cocky smile on his face that he always wore. "Nevah fear, Brooklyn is here!"

            I didn't even bother to thank him. I ran around him, back the way I had come. If Dutchy was dead, then Spot didn't deserve a thank you. He should've just let the thing eat me.

            "Specs? Whatssa mattah, huh? I jest saved your ass, ya bum!" Spot yelled, obviously not used to people ignoring him. Especially not after all that. I ran back to the carriage, falling to my knees beside it and trying to pull up. I didn't even realize I was crying until I saw tears landing on the crushed wood.

            Spot leaned down beside me, his voice suddenly turning to be calm and soothing. "Now, hang on. I'll lift it up, and you pull him out. On da count of three, okay?"

            I couldn't concentrate. He grabbed onto my arm, his voice still warm but stern. "Ya listen ta me. He's alive, and we're gonna get him out. You jest do what I tell ya, okay?"

            I nodded and he grabbed onto the carriage. "1…2…3!"

            He lifted up and it came up just enough for me to reach underneath, and I felt fabric and pulled. I grabbed onto Dutchy's shoulders, pulling him out and turning him over onto his back, laying him on the rough cobblestones.

            And then, he opened his eyes.

            "Dutchy!" I gasped, pulling him up and into my arms. He returned the hug, and for at least a minute, I wanted nothing more than to sit there in the street, holding him close to me and making sure nothing ever happened to him again.

            "I thought you was dead!" I choked out between sobs.

            "I's right here, Specs…I ain't leavin'. You's okay." He said, rocking me back and forth gently.

            After a few more seconds, I guess Spot couldn't stand it any longer. "As soon as you two have set da weddin' date, I think we bettah get back ta Manhattan. Dose lizards is all over, and I need ta talk ta Jack."

            "Are you okay?" I asked Dutchy as I helped him stand up.

            "Yeah, just bruised."

            "Are you sure?"

            "Yes! Let's go, Specs…I'm fine."

            "You're certain?"

            He gave me an annoyed look, but couldn't hold it for long and just laughed as we started off toward Manhattan, the streets beginning to come alive again with policeman and disheveled citizens.

AN: Review, please! Feed my addiction!    


	5. Face to Face

AN: Hey people! Time for more suspense. I'm gonna try and wrap it up in this chapter, but I might not be able to, so just bear with me. My muses may push me for another chapter…who knows. __the future Dakota says that this isn't the last chapter…just my luck._ *sighs heavily *  My muses scare me…but I'll tell you right now, an idea just came to me for another suspense fic, and I should be starting it right after I finish this one. 

Jack

            We soon had all the Manhattan newsies except for Dutchy and Specs inside of Tibby's, and I immediately ordered the older ones to start boarding up windows and the back door. I would wait as long as I could to board up the front door, but Dutchy and Specs would be out of luck if those lizards tried to get in- I'd have to have the front door boarded up, too.

            "Jack."

            I turned around and Mush was standing there, looking exhausted and emotionally drained as well.

            "Yeah?"

            "I's gonna go out and look for 'em. It's been too long."

            "Can't let ya do dat, Mush. You know dat."

            He took a deep breath, and then spoke with a certainty that seemed out of place coming from him. "I wasn't askin'…I was tellin'. Don't worry about me. Board up if dey try ta get in."

            "Mush! No!"

            He completely ignored me, and instead walked out the door. I was completely floored. Usually he listened to what I had to say, and took it to heart…but he wasn't even willing to listen. That kid must have a death wish or something.

I looked up at Blink, and he met my gaze, worry etched on all his features. I knew what he was going to do. Without saying a word, I gave him permission to follow. Like I'd be able to stop him anyway.

            David looked panicked now. "He's injured and you're just going to let him walk out?!"

            Poor David. He just didn't understand…I knew these kids like brothers. I knew what they would do, and just how far they would go for each other. Mush and Blink? You couldn't even break that pair by death- if one of them went, you could bet the other would be right there beside him. It was impossible and hopeless to get them to listen to reason. And it wasn't my place to keep them apart.

            I sighed heavily, turning back to look away from the door that my best friends had jus walked out of, possibly into the jaws of death. "If you think you can stop him, go ahead, Davey."  

Blink 

            "Mush! Wait up!"

            He spun around, probably expecting to see Jack or even David behind him. He seemed surprised to see me.

            "What are ya doin', ya bum? Go back ta Tibby's!" He yelled at me, but I caught up and stood in front of him, catching my breath. I noticed dark spots on his shirt, and I realized that along with evening falling, it was beginning to rain.

            "You's crazy if ya think I'm gonna let ya do dis alone." I insisted.

            He seemed to be at a loss for words. He slowly shook his head, looking down at the pavement. He finally looked up and spoke. 

            "I almost got you killed once."

            "I's still alive."

            "This is different!"

            "In what way?"

            He groaned in frustration. "I…I don't want nothin' ta happen to you."

            "Same here. That's why I'm comin'."

            "You're an idiot."

            I grinned broadly just because I knew it would annoy him. "Thank you."

            We began walking again just as the rain began to fall harder. I was surprised we hadn't seen any of the lizards yet, but that made me even more nervous. Why wouldn't they be out hunting us? 

            "This isn't right." Mush whispered, looking over his shoulder. I nodded and swallowed hard, watching people scurry from building to building as fast as their feet would carry them. Nobody wanted to stay outside for any length of time, probably moreso because of the lizards than the rain.

            "What are you bums doin' our here?"

            Spot Conlon himself stepped out of an alley, followed by Specs and Dutchy. I heaved a sigh of relief, spit shaking with Spot. 

            "We was lookin' for you." Mush explained.

            "You guys aren't gonna believe what was out here." Dutchy said.

            A split second later, the ground suddenly shook under us. Only momentarily. But then again a few seconds later. I saw the look of panic on Specs's and Dutchy's face, and I knew this couldn't be good.

            "RUN!" Specs yelled, pushing us back the way we had come. I took off, not waiting around to ask questions. Whatever was making that sound, it was big.

            Suddenly, a lizard the size of a warehouse burst out of an alley in front of us, completely blocking the road. I had turned and started to run the other way when I realized that Mush had completely frozen up- he hadn't moved. I started to run back to him, but Specs grabbed my arm.

            "Wait…it can't see him…" he hissed.

            I could feel my stomach doing flips inside me. That thing was standing right in front of him, how could it not see him?!

            The lizard leaned down and was soon face to face with Mush, who was shaking like a leaf. I tried once again to wrench out of Specs's grip, but he's stronger than he looks…not to mention Spot had grabbed onto my other arm and Dutchy was helping Specs keep me still. Cause believe me, I would give anything to go up there and get Mush away from that thing.

            Mush had gotten the hint now, and was trying his best not to move as the creature sniffed him just like a dog would've. Mush was openly crying now, tears rolling down his cheeks as his life hung in the balance. I couldn't stand watching this, but the guys weren't letting me do anything about it. We were all soaked by now as the rain came down in pounding sheets onto the ground.

            Finally, Spot lost patience. Eventually that thing was going to figure out that Mush was alive, and then it would all be over. Spot slowly bent down and picked up a large rock, putting it into his slingshot and aiming carefully.

            "Don't hit Mush…" I pleaded with him.

            He just snickered. "Since when did I start missing?"

            He let the rock fly and it hit the lizard right in the forehead. It stumbled back with a roar that sent Mush to his knees, his hands clamped over his ears, and we waited as the creature swung its head around, looking for the source of the pain. When it didn't see anything, it stepped right over Mush and continued down the road, walking right past us.

Mush wrapped his arms around his body as he now openly sobbed, and I was finally released and ran to him, kneeling beside him on the ground and putting an arm around his shoulders. 

            "Are you okay?" I asked, and he nodded, his entire body still trembling. I gently helped him to his feet, but I knew we weren't out of the woods yet.

            "It went straight for da dead end. It's gonna be comin' back dis way." Dutchy said, biting his lower lip nervously. 

            Personally, I didn't want to have to face that thing again. "Let's get outta here."

Skittery 

            I insisted on helping around in the café: I had already felt like a burden back in the bunkroom, and I didn't want to just sit there and do nothing, even if moving the slightest bit hurt anyway. But I had something to take care of first.

            "Snitch?"

            He turned around, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. Somehow, I was a little nervous talking to him when he had a hammer in one hand and nails in the other.

            "I jest…wanted to apologize." I started.

            "About what?"

            "Well, I know I promised I'd sell wit ya, but…I jest forgot. I'm an idiot."

            He smiled. "It's okay. I understand. I was jest worried about you, dat's all."

            "Worried about me? Why?"

            Racetrack came by and offered us both glasses of water, and we both took one, sitting down at one of the tables. I adjusted my right arm, trying to figure out if I still had circulation in it- Mush had to have put at least a few inches of bandages on it.

            "Cause it ain't like you ta go off by yourself without tellin' someone where you'd be."

            "I still shouldn't have forgotten."

            He stood up, drinking the rest of his water. "It's okay. Really. Jest don't do it again or I'll soak ya."

            "I'll hold ya to dat."

            Jack walked up to me, and I could tell he was worried.

            "Da lizards are out in da street. I think we need ta board up da front."

            "Not yet…give 'em a few more minutes."

            "We don't got a few more minutes!"

            I began to get angry. "Then why are ya askin' me?!"

            "Because I don't know what ta do!" he hissed, kneeling down in front of me to make sure the other guys didn't overhear. "Everyone thinks I know what I'm doin', but I don't! I don't wanna board up da front, but I don't see any other choice!"

            I thought for a moment, resisting the urge to just walk out there and go get them myself. Being injured, I wouldn't make it ten feet before those things were on me…wait a second…that was it!

            "Wait…I gots an idea!" I said, scaring Jack to death. "Okay...get everyone ya can spare onto da roof. Dey have cement blocks from da construction sitting up dere. When they're up dere, I'm going to walk out dat door."

            "WHAT?!"

            "Just do it! I don't have time ta argue wit ya! Ya wanted help, didn't ya?"

            He hesitated, and then stood up and announced my orders to everyone in the room. Then he turned back to me and asked me just what I thought I was going to do.

            "I'm injured. If dey operate like I think dey do, they'll smell da blood and come straight for me. We'll take dem out one by one by droppin' da cement blocks on dem from da roof."

            He looked skeptical. "Ya think they'll take da bait?"

            "I know they'll take da bait. Now help me up."

            He grabbed my hand and I shakily stood up, holding onto him as the pain shot up my leg and through my back, hitting my head like a hammer. I wavered for a moment, and he held me up. 

            "Are you sure 'bout dis?"

            I shot him the best glare I could manage. "Jest get me to the door, ya bum."

            I stepped up to the door, my hand on the knob and just waiting for Jack's signal. He yelled something up the stairs, waited for a reply, and then gave me a thumbs up.

            I stepped outside, my limp obvious now that I wasn't trying to hide it. I walked only about a foot from the door, and by then all the large, golden eyes that I could see had locked on me. I could only hope that we could take out enough that they would back off until Mush and the others got back. 

            One of them began walking toward me, sniffing the air and curling its claws. My heart was beating a mile a minute, and I was half expecting to have jaws locked around my throat in a split second. But I wasn't sure how smart the lizards were, so I didn't dare look up and make sure they were ready. 

            One of the creatures got brave and started making its way toward me. 

            _Come on…come on…closer…just a little closer…_

Wham!

            The lizard fell to the ground and a pool of blood began to form around it, the remains of the cement block all over the walk around us. Now came the hard part- I decided I would have to move the body to make sure the other lizards could get within range.

            I nudged it with my foot, and it didn't move. It was dead. It had to be.

            I reached down and grabbed onto it, and found it to be lighter than I thought it would be. I dragged it aside, resuming my post as the other creatures got curious. _They can't be that smart if they're still coming, _I thought as another one walked closer to me.

            Another cement block dropped, but this time, the lizard sprang backwards and the cement hit the ground. It wouldn't have been so bad if a piece hadn't ricocheted and hit me in the leg.

            I fell to the pavement with a shout of pain that had to scare the lizard a bit, and then I realized that there was no way I was getting up again. And that lizard was now hovering right over me, which meant that they couldn't drop a block without hitting me as well. And I would prefer that they didn't do that.

            Oh, shit. This was bad.

            The creature lunged at me and I brought my arms up to protect my face, and I ended up with my right arm inside the thing's mouth. And quite suddenly, I was very glad that Mush had been obsessive compulsive with the bandaging.

            The lizard suddenly shook my arm as if it were a chew toy, and I thought I could practically feel it ripping out of the socket. But I knew I was in even worse trouble when I felt the teeth rip through the bandages and bite into my skin.

            "Jack!" I tried to scream, but it came out as more of a breathy plea as the monster slammed its foot onto my stomach, knocking all the air out of me. It lifted its other foot, ready to rip me open with its claws, and as the blood soaked through the bandage and ran down my arm, all I could think to do was pray.

            Suddenly the lizard cried out in pain and jumped away from me, and I collapsed onto the ground and tried to breathe, shutting my eyes tightly as I waited for it to come back and finish me off. I didn't even care what had happened to that thing- I was too busy wondering if this was what death felt like. My old wounds were hurting now, on top of the blinding pain of the new ones. 

            "Skittery? Skittery?"

            The voice seemed so far away that I couldn't tell who it was. And personally, I didn't care.

            "Blink! Spot! Specs! Help me out here!" the voice said, just as darkness was taking over my vision. I wished I would just die…anything to get rid of the pain. And when I felt people trying to move me, the pain became so great that I just gave in. 

            I wished it was death, but with my luck, it wouldn't be.

AN: My muses just went crazy with that chapter. I mean, that was just insane. Whew…okay, review, please. Cause I'm tired after all that suspense, and I'm gonna need encouragement to just pick up and drag my feet on to the next chapter.


	6. Shootouts

AN: More suspense ahead…and hopefully the end…but I really don't know. My muses are in complete control now, and they aren't telling me anything. So let's just get started and see where it goes!

Dutchy

            We helped Mush pick up Skittery as Spot continued pelting the lizards with stones from his slingshot, and slowly but surely, we made it inside. A split second later Jack had five newsies at the door, nailing boards onto it as fast as they could. 

            "Set him down here." I said, jerking my head towards an empty table. We set him down carefully, and I quickly put my hand right over his mouth, relieved to feel his breath on my palm.

            Blink wasn't quite as calm as we were. "Jack…what was he doing out there?" he hissed, backing Jack up against a nearby chair.

            "We was tryin' ta take out a few of them so we wouldn't have ta board up da front. He was bait."

            "He was injured!!!"

            "He volunteered, okay? I feel bad enough already!"

            "Well, yeah…you should."

            Mush saw his opportunity and took it without hesitation. "Blink…Jack…now's not the time. Just shut up, both of ya."

            Blink turned away from Jack and began to help Mush with the rebandaging of Skittery's arm, and Specs and I set to work on where a new wound had been opened up in his leg. Spot and Jack talked quietly off to the side for a few minutes, and then Jack came over to us, his face grim.

            "How is he?" he asked.

            "He'll be fine. He just had a few nasty blows out dere. Coulda been worse if we hadn't got dat thing offa him." Mush said quietly, not looking up from the bandaging. We could tell he was very disappointed in Jack for letting this happen in the first place.

            Blink obviously couldn't help himself. "How long were you gonna wait, huh? _Until that_ _thing __tore his arm off and gutted him?!"_

"Blink!" I snapped, knowing that the younger ones here didn't need to be hearing that kind of stuff. He got the hint and handed Mush another piece of tape, keeping his eyes glued on the table. I looked up at Jack, hoping that my frustration wasn't showing through on my face.

            "What are we gonna do, Jack?"

            Jack sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Brooklyn is holding off da lizards pretty well with their slingshots, and some guys with guns are out hunting 'em down."

            "That doesn't tell us what to do. We don't have slingshots, if you hadn't noticed." Specs snapped.

            "I know! I just…we don't know. We just don't know."

            Blink was just about to comment when we heard a strange sound coming from above. A scratching and pounding. 

            "They're on the roof." David said, looking toward the stairs.

            "How'd they get up there?"

            "They jumped from the other roofs. The fire escapes on the other buildings are down."

            "They can't get in from up dere, can dey?" Race asked, and Davey nodded frantically.

            "That door isn't boarded up there."

            Spot immediately saw the danger and took charge where Jack froze up. "Okay, kids. Dere's a basement here. I want everyone in dat basement five minutes ago, and I want dat door boarded up right now. GO!" 

            Everyone scrambled to follow Conlon's orders, but I was reluctant to move Skittery again. He was in enough pain right now, and moving him again could do further damage.

            "We…we need something to carry him down on." I told Jack, hoping he would snap out of it and help us out. He looked around frantically, and then grabbed a flimsy but large table that wasn't being used and kicked the legs off of it. He set the top of it down on the table next to the one Skittery was on, and as the scratching above got more intense, we carefully lifted him and set him down on the makeshift stretcher.

            From there, it still wasn't easy to get him down to the basement, but we somehow managed it. A few newsies took charge of boarding up the door just as we heard the upstairs door slam open. We were safe, once again, but we couldn't be sure how long that would last.

Mush

            "Alright, what now?" I asked, wondering just how long those boards would keep the lizards out.

            "We can't just hide in here, Spot. We gotta do something." Blink said, pacing frantically in the already cramped space. I put a hand on his shoulder, and he stopped pacing, leaning against the wall next to me instead.

            "Dere's not much we can do without weapons." Spot said with a shrug as he lit up a cigarette. I started to make my way over to Jack when my foot suddenly fell straight through the floor- I was lucky the splintered wood hadn't impaled on my ankle.

            "Mush, you okay?" Blink asked, rushing forward.

            "My foot's stuck." I said, trying in vain to pull it out. Blink leaned down and somehow we got it out- and then we saw exactly what I had stepped on.

            "Spot…about us not havin' weapons…ya might wanna take a look at dis." Blink said, excitement evident in his voice.

            There was an absolutely absurd amount of guns hidden in a compartment under the floor. I mean, we'd heard the manager of Tibby's was a wacko veteran, but this? This was too good to be true. We began pulling out the guns and ammunition, stacking them off to the side and making sure none of the younger ones got around them.

            Spot's eyes were gleaming now. He looked as if he was ready to go out and start a world war. He picked up one of the rifles, examining it closely before readying it to fire.

            "Let's go kick some lizard ass." He said, handing the rifle to me and handing another one to Blink. He looked around carefully at who was uninjured- and who he trusted with a weapon- before handing guns to Jack, David, Snitch, Bumlets, Specs, and Dutchy.

            After handing out guns, each of us was loaded down with as much ammunition as we could carry- and we looked like we were prepared for a war. Snipeshooter was absolutely stunned- he'd always loved war stories, but he didn't dare go against Spot's orders and ask to go along. He knew better.

            "You eight are with me. As soon as we're out dat door, ya board up again. You's in charge, Itey. Can you handle dat?"

            "Sure thing, Conlon."

            "Good. Let's go."

            We carefully pried the boards off the door, and Spot looked straight at Dutchy, who was holding the gun as if it might go off without pulling the trigger.

            "You ready to shoot?" he asked, and Dutchy's eyes got about as big as saucers.

            "ME?"

            "No, your identical twin. Yes, you, ya bum. As soon as I open this door, you fire rounds until there's nothin' left alive out dere, got it?"

            "I think so…"

            "On da count of three…one…two…three!" Spot threw the door open and Dutchy pulled the trigger, the sound making me want to cover my ears and run back down the stairs. Lizards were screaming and screeching all over the restaurant, their cries slowly giving way to silence as Dutchy mowed them down like an old pro. Spot finally gave Dutchy the signal to stop, and by then, he was shaking so bad that we had to push him forward to get him to move.

            "Good job." Spot said, patting Dutchy on the back before moving forward. "Cover me." He ordered as he began prying boards off the front door.

            "Where are we goin', Spot?" Jack asked.

            "We're going to take out as many of dose suckers as we can."

            "But what about the big one?" Blink asked.

            Spot just shrugged. "Keep shootin' till it's dead. Just aim for the head and the eyes."

            Oh, for heaven's sake…we were running into this without a clue as to what we were getting into.

            "Alright, Dutchy, get ready again." Spot said as he pulled away the last board.

            "Why me?" Dutchy asked, and Spot smiled a very evil smile, and continued on to pelt us all with extreme sarcasm.

            "Just because you look so cute mowing down rabid lizards. Go!"

            He threw open the door and Dutchy opened fire, taking out at least three more of the monsters.

            "Alright, let's split up." Spot said as we walked out into the street. "Jack, Dutchy, Specs, and Bumlets, you're with me. We take the 3rd street route to Brooklyn. Mush, Blink, David, and Snitch, you take the route down 15th. We'll meet at the bridge. No group crosses until the others are there, got it?"

            We all nodded and split up down the two respective streets. We walked for about ten minutes in silence, taking out the occasional lizard and telling people on the street to go back inside. At least it had stopped raining for the moment.

            "They're all gone." Blink said, and I locked eyes with him. We knew what that meant.

            "Davey, Snitch…get into a doorway and don't move. Don't fire until I start firing. Go!" I yelled, and we all split up and got into doorways as the pounding started again. It was coming. I suddenly realized that Blink was standing in front of a glass shop window, and there was a family inside, watching him with terror in their eyes. Two little boys and a baby girl were huddled in one corner, and the parents started to move toward the door, but Blink motioned for them to stop and be quiet.

            The huge lizard turned the corner, its feet crushing anything that it stepped on. I couldn't see David and Snitch from where I was, but I knew they had to be terrified- they hadn't seen the thing before now. I decided to wait until it got to the middle of the street- where we all had an angle on it- and then start shooting. Otherwise it could just turn and run away too easily.

            Somehow, I had the feeling that the firepower we had wouldn't be enough. But we had to try.

            Unexpectedly the baby in the shop behind Blink let out an ear-shattering cry, and the monster headed straight for him.

            I don't know what happened in that moment. I could plea temporary insanity in any trial. Cause that's what I felt like it was when I heard the shattering glass and the shout of surprise- and possibly pain.

            I opened fire, shooting round after round at the creatures head and neck. It jerked back, shaking its head viciously as Snitch and David both joined me in shooting. But none of our shots seemed to be making any difference. It was like we were bouncing pellets off of it. _But he was not_ _going to take Blink unless it was literally over my dead body!_

            I heard the sound of a new gun, and I realized that Blink was on his feet and shooting- he was okay. Then he looked straight at me and yelled, "The bridge! We gotta get it to da bridge!"

            The bridge…he was right. The only way we would get rid of this thing was by throwing it off the Brooklyn bridge. I had no idea how we would do that, but it had to happen.

            The city of New York depended on it.

AN: Another one of my annoying cliffhangers! The next chapter is definitely the last- the final showdown with the king of the dinosaurs. And our boys are the ones who have to take it down.

Fun times ahead…

Oh, and if at any point I've accidentally referred to Davud as 'Davey', please excuse the mistake. I'm writing this fic and the Big Brother Newsies Style fic, and in that David is always referred to as Davey. Just warning you in case I slip up or already have.


	7. Lizard Drag

AN: The final showdown! Are you ready? I'm ready! It short but action packed!

I should have a disclaimer on this, cause there is one point in it that I'm worried about some readers keeling over from a heart attack…but I'll make the same promise that I always do with these type stories…I always fix things! I know it's hard, but trust me with their lives!

Blink 

            I began running for the bridge- we were so close I could practically smell the river water. Well, not really, but we were that close. Mush caught up to me just as the monster noticed us, giving chase immediately.

            "At least you're running this time!" I exclaimed, although this was hardly the time for one of my lame jokes. He didn't answer-he only gave me _that look_. I hated that look. It was like an 'orphaned puppy' look or something.

            "Where are David and Snitch?" He asked, looking over his shoulder.

            "I think they're gonna take up the rear."

            "We're not gonna be able to outrun it!"

            "Ya think?!" I asked, mostly being sarcastic. 

            We reached the bridge, and Spot for once lost his calm composure when he saw what was following us.

            "HOLY SHIT!!!" he yelled, raising his gun and firing a few rounds.

            "Dat's not gonna do any good, Spot!" I yelled, and he scowled but threw the gun down. Suddenly he turned around and that sparkle came into his eyes- that sparkle that told me he had one of his 'ingenious plots'.

            "Mush, come ovah here! Blink…distract dat thing!" he yelled, and Mush ran over to join him as my jaw dropped to the ground.

            "Distract it?! What do ya want me ta do, dress in lizard drag or somethin'?" 

            Specs and Dutchy joined up with me just as the monster got to us, and without even planning, we all three raised our guns at the exact same time and fired. Maybe it didn't really hurt it, but at least the thing was stunned. I saw Mush and Spot unraveling a cord right by the railing of the bridge and wrapping it around their wrists to support it better, and I knew exactly what they were planning. I turned around and started running right toward it, and my sudden movement attracted the thing's attention. As planned, it followed me move for move, and at the last second, I dived _under_ the cord.

            The monster, with its bad eyesight, didn't see the wire. It's foot caught on it, and the thing tripped, its weight flying forward- and off the bridge. At first it seemed like the perfect victory. But only for a split second.

            Mush and Spot suddenly snapped forward as the lizard took the cord with him off the bridge, and in a split second, they were dragged over the edge with it. Gone. Just like that.

            "MUSH!!!" 

            I started to run to the edge, but Dutchy stopped me. I don't know why. Maybe he didn't want me to have to see my best friend die. Maybe he thought I'd jump off after him.

            Maybe I would've.

            "Mush, Spot…God, NO!" I screamed, trying once again to pull away from Dutchy, but ending up on my knees on the cement. 

            It was impossible…Mush couldn't be dead. This was some kind of nightmare, some kind of cruel joke by God. I'd wake up. I'd wake up. I had to wake up.

            But…no. The rain was coming down once more, pounding me into reality. I barely felt the sobs shaking my body, barely felt the tears as they ran down my cheeks, mingling with the rain. How could it matter? 

            "Blink…" Dutchy started, but he didn't seem quite sure of what to say.

            "HEY! SOMEONE HELP!"

            My head snapped up. That sounded like Mush- and it sounded like he was really pissed. But it couldn't be. He'd gone over the edge with the wire…hadn't he?

            "MUSH!" I yelled, jumping up and running to the side. To my astonishment, Mush and Spot were hanging on the ends of the rope, balancing the rope precariously, keeping it from sliding one way or another. One rail that the lizard hadn't broken on its way over had caught on the rope- the only thing holding them from a nasty fall.

            We pulled up Spot first, and then we pulled Mush back onto solid ground, and I attacked him in a hug that almost sent us _both_ back over the edge.

            "Haven't I told you not ta trip man eating lizards unless ya know they're not gonna pull ya off a bridge?" I asked, trying to sound furious as I wiped the tears off my face.

            "Yeah, I think you mentioned that…but since when did I listen ta you?"

            Maybe nobody would ever understand…but for me, seeing that smile was worth facing all the rabid lizards in the world. Hands down.

AN: Finally done! The muses are letting me rest for at least an hour…then they'll be bugging me with another idea, I just know it. Oh well…tell me what you think!

Oh, and didn't I tell you that you'd be having a heart attack? * Hugs Mush and Spot * I promise never ever to have them pulled off a bridge by a t-rex ever again. You have my word. I'll do other things that are equally vicious, but I won't do that again. ^__^ Evilness! I love it! Wait…is 'evilness' a word? * consults her dictionary but then forgets the alphabet and can't find the letter 'e' * Okay…..I'm shutting up now… 


End file.
